Renault R-17FT on a railway train platform - French/Polish light tank - dresine

1916 the famous French colonel Jean Baptiste Eugène Estienne, then the commander of the artillery regiment, admired modern weapons, arriving at Luis Renault to persuade him to make a tank out of a “Holt” tractor, the latter armed and armored. Renault refused to take on the colonel’s idea, but agreed to design the tank. Luis Renault outlined to his subordinates the parameters of the new product: no more, than 7 tons of weight, the ability to overcome the trench, the engine must not lose power for as long, as possible. In France, more than 3,000 FT light tanks of various modifications were produced at the “Renault” plant near Paris. Another 950 tanks were manufactured in the United States under French license, named M1917. A total of 1000 units were produced machine gun tanks, 1850 pcs. tanks with cannons, 970 pcs. with built-in howitzer, about 200 pcs. TSF tanks with radio equipment. In August 1923, the Lithuanian Ministry of National Defense purchased in France 12 tanks of this type for the armament of the Lithuanian Armed Forces. Unlike all others, they were equipped with 7.72 mm “Maxim” 0.8 machine guns. The tanks were divided into three companies and all had names. They were all under Lithuanian occupation, although there were 10 left to use. Poland had bought many more of these tanks - 120 units. They were used in battles with Bolshevik Russia, some of which were lost. Later, when the Poles already had enough better weapons, “Renault” was written off and sold to the Spanish and Chinese armies.

A well-detailed model of medium complexity, with internal equipment built on a railway platform, requiring the care and attention of any experience modeler. Only inexperienced and beginners are recommended to work under the supervision of a more experienced colleague. It is possible to make a tank with an octagon and a drop-shaped tower. There are details for rail lanes.